The movie that got us all 'hooked on a feeling' in 2014 is back! This time around Peter 'Star Lord' Quill (Chris Pratt) and friends find themselves on the run from a golden-skinned race known as the Sovereigns after they discover a small theft by Rocket (Bradley Cooper). During the chase, they are rescued by a mysterious man known as Ego (Kurt Russell) who reveals himself to be Peter's father. The Guardians are invited to his home planet, where we discover his surprising motivations for searching out his son. Meanwhile, Yondu (Michael Rooker) and his space-pirate crew the Ravagers have fallen on hard times, resulting in an internal power struggle. Eventually Yondu's crew catches up with the Guardians, but by this time, their situation has changed dramatically. Banding together for the greater good, the Guardians, along with Yondu and Nebula (Karen Gillan) face off against an unexpected villain in a fight that will determine the safety of the entire galaxy!
As is expected with any Marvel film, Guardians Vol 2 is full of eye candy, from the excellent makeup to the outstanding visual effects. Thankfully, the quality of writing is just as good as the effects. Every character gets a good amount of screen time. Peter and Gamora (Zoe Saldana) continue their indecisive attempts at romance, Rocket and baby Groot (Vin Diesel) get numerous chances to explode people, and Drax (Dave Bautista) begins to understand the nature of love, as well as having some of the funniest moments in the movie. I also appreciate that this sequel put a spotlight on the 'villains' from the first instalment, giving them some very complex new depth of character.
It would be irresponsible of me to talk about a Guardians film without discussing the soundtrack. Once again, the music is made up of various hits and one-hit-wonders of the disco era, but something about this soundtrack doesn't feel quite the same. It still has some very well chosen songs for the big moments, but overall, it doesn't seem nearly as vibrant or memorable as the first movie. After some reflection, I think this has something to do with the context of the first film. Guardians of the Galaxy started from a deep emotional place, which imprints itself on an audience very strongly. As well, the first film was our introduction to these characters we now love, so those musical moments become even more ingrained in our unconscious, much in the same way we associate John Williams's Imperial March with Darth Vader, for instance.
As is the case with any Marvel movie, there is a small collection of post-credit sequences. A few of them are chuckle-worthy, but unless you're well-versed in Marvel comics lore, there's not much worth sticking around for.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is full of action, laughs and adventure. But more than this, it has a serious emotional story to tell. Ultimately, it's a story about family. We don't get to choose our relatives, but we do get to choose who we call our family. Guardians explains this to us in a very clear and poetic way, and is a big reason I think it improves on the original. If you're a fan of the original, or just like Marvel movies in general, I highly recommend you see this while it's still in theatres!
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